Takeda looking for diabetes drug approval

According to a report from American, the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda have asked for approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the diabetes drug Alogliptin. Takeda hope that Alogliptin will replace Takeda flagship Actos as their major cashcow when the latter loses its patent in 2011. Takeda shares have recently taken a hit, following recommendation from US authorities late last year to cease clinical trials for one of its major candidates. A spokesman for Takeda, Toshiyuki Ikeuchi, reportedly commented: “We are hoping Alogliptin to boost our diabetes franchise, which is a very important field for us.” The drug in questio, Aloglipti, is a completely new class of diabetes treatment agent, Dpp-4 inhibitors. Rivals include Galvus (Novartis) and Januvia (Merck). The next year should be exciting for Takeda, as the FDA decide whether the new drug is safe to enter the category. Safety approval for this type of drug is extremely strict, particularly in light of Avandia concerns last year and the doubt that this threw over the efficiency of the FDA .